


neighbor bonding activity

by endereyeseyeseyes



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hair Braiding, Minor Angst, implied/referenced panic attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:00:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29095398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endereyeseyeseyes/pseuds/endereyeseyeseyes
Summary: Techno lets Ranboo braid his hair, just this once.
Relationships: Ranboo & Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 876





	neighbor bonding activity

**Author's Note:**

> this is not rpf, just their characters
> 
> set after today's Ranboo stream but only vaguely references it towards the end because Jesus Christ

Techno wakes up early, like he always does. 

Something in his genetics, maybe, that bully him into rising with the sun. He doesn't mind them that much anymore, now that he's living in the tundra. There's always places to build and things to steal, if he bothers the trip over to civilization. And there's all of everything else he has to whittle away at, slowly but surely. 

Phil is still asleep up by the time he gets back and debates having breakfast or not. It's almost midday. He throws another log on the fire, and pulls out his lists- how much Does he actually have to accomplish today- and when he glances up through the window, he sees his weird magic neighbor. Ranboo's staring down at his own books, but the feeling of being watched must get him to glance up and he waves. 

There's some stupid genetic thing, something that itches at the back of his mind to drop down to the floor and make sure the kid can't actually see him, but he shoves that down, along with all of the obnoxious voices, and waves back. 

It'd make Phil happy, to see him making friends, if he could even call it that. 

And then Ranboo jogs off in the direction of the portal, and Techno is right back where he started, debating if he should bother eating or not. 

“Hey.” Phil sticks his head down from the attic, “Your hair is a mess.” 

“You can't even see it from there.” Which of course, prompts Phil to drop down to the living room and walk over, to give his disheveled braid a light tug. 

“What about your aesthetics, Techno?” Phil shakes his head, though the joke in his voice is obvious. “Have you eaten yet?” 

“Not really.” 

“Yeah, well. We can do that- then I'll fix your hair for you.” He grunts a response because Phil is using his “dad” voice and there's no reason to argue. At least not this early in the midday. Breakfast is quick and quiet- and more comfortable for it, and then Techno is sitting in a chair facing the window, and Phil is behind him, hands in his hair. “Did you already do what you had planned today?” 

“Some of it.” Phil catches a particular tangle, matted with dried blood of... something. “Still need prismarine.” 

The brush Phil uses is old, barely holding together, he can even hear something rattle as it catches on another matted patch. His head get's yanked back but he doesn't mind. That much. Phil mutters a quiet apology, just a quick “sorry”, because it catches on something again almost entirely. 

“All my hard work is going to go to waste.” 

“Huh?” 

“Salt water is bad for- you know.” 

“Need prismarine more than I need good hair.” 

“Sure.” 

“It's valuable.” 

“Sure.” 

“Goods can be exchanged for money and services Phil.” 

Phil just laughs.

He's done half an hour later, valuable sunlight dwindling away, but he can't bring himself to mind. It's nice, having someone he trusts take care of him like this- it's a small concession he lets himself have. Because it's Phil, even if Phil is kind of bad at doing his hair, it's nice. And Phil told him a long time ago, in a different frozen tundra, that he liked doing it too. Techno had good- beautiful- hair that Phil liked to brush. Liked the motion, the sensation. The familial-friendly closeness off. That it was a relaxing thing to do. 

It was just a little quiet them thing. 

He stands and gives the plait a gentle tug- it'll stay put well enough while he throws himself into the frozen ocean. 

“Thanks.” 

“Anytime.” Phil sets a warm hand on Techno's shoulder and Techno shrugs it off with a grin. Mask on, cloak on, sword, axe, silktouched hoe, check check check. 

“Don't wait up.” He calls from the stoop, and hears Phil step into the doorway.

“Don't drown.” 

“I'll see what I can do.” 

–--

He doesn't drown. 

There were a few close calls but close calls don't mean shit and he's a stack of prismarine the richer for it. 

Even if Phil was right, and his hair is fucked up again. The trip home is colder than usual, but not by much and by the time snow starts falling around him, his hair is still wet and he can practically hear the ice crystals forming. 

At least they were fun to shake out. 

It's well into the night, if not almost morning again by the time he climbs up his steps. 

He also sees Ranboo, standing ominously in the field- 

Is he crying? Or hyperventilating? 

“Ranboo?” It comes out a lot sharper than he meant it too, and the kid jumps, clutching at his chest and spinning to stare at him. “You okay, man?” 

“Uh-” He says and shakes a little, making that weird gasping sound Edward used to make. “N-No. No, probably uh- probably not.” 

“You uh.” What would Phil do- invite him in probably, feed him, talk about feelings or whatever. Maybe stay up the rest of the night doing something that didn't actually need to be done but busied his hands and his head enough, that whatever the kid was freaking out about he'd just forget. “Want to come in?” 

“I'm-” Ranboo turns to his house, then back to Techno, then back to his house. “Yeah, okay.” 

Techno gets inside, and pulls off his cloak and most of his weapons, though Orphan Obliterator stays on his hip, and throws another log on the fire. It crackles loud just as Ranboo comes inside. 

Now, in the light, it's obvious he's been crying. 

“Did you eat yet?” 

“Just cake.” Ranboo says, but his voice still has that shaken quality, raspy maybe. “That still works, anyway, so.” 

“Right.” 

“Right.” 

This is awkward because this isn't what Technoblade is good at. He debates climbing up, waking up Phil and making Ranboo Phil's problem, but. But. He did invite him in. So Techno sits down, undoes his braid, and holds the brush out to Ranboo. 

Ranboo, somewhat understandably, stands there and doesn't take it. 

“Help me out, man, come on.” That gets him moving, he rushes, almost stumbles over his own two feet, before settling behind him. “You ever braid someone's hair before?” 

“Nikki's- once.” 

“It's the same thing.” Probably- he doesn't know. “The principle's the same thing.” 

“Yeah.” Ranboo says quietly, and starts slowly dragging the brush along his hair. “You have uh-” Techno can hear the ice shards clink and clatter onto the floor. 

“I went swimming.”

“Oh. Yeah. That makes sense.” Three minutes of silence- Techno could, would, call it comfortable. The air is still awkward- they're both a little stiff around each other, and Techno has no intention of taking his hand off the hilt of his blade, but it's just the situation. Not the company. “Can you. Mm.” 

“What?” 

“Your mask is in the way.” 

“Oh.” He reaches back and unclasps the straps. He's gotten to used to the thing he forgot he was even wearing the skull. He sets it on the table, gives it an absent minded pat, and leans back so Ranboo can keep going. 

“I don't think I've ever seen you with out it on.” 

“You still haven't.” Because he's faced away, and Ranboo is staring at the back of his head. “You're not going to.” 

“That's fair.” 

And now the silence, aside from the occasional pop of the wood in the first place, is comfortable. All it took was a vague threat, but whatever, they're here. 

Ranboo's better at it then Phil is, which Techno thinks is funny but he'll keep it to himself. Or maybe Ranboo's just scared of him in a way Phil never could be, and that's why he's being so delicate about the knots and tangles. Techno can barely feel the brush, just the gentle drag of Ranboo's fingers through his hair. 

“This is nice.” Ranboo says quietly- “I mean, your hair is nice.” 

He likes doing it, that's what he really means, but Techno keeps that to himself too. He wonders if it's the repetitive motion or the threat of the sword that finally calmed him down enough to enjoy the process but here they are. Ranboo hasn't caught his ears or yanked his head back even once, maybe he could tease Phil about it later. Or maybe it's just his silktouched magic hands. 

And maybe they could do this again sometime. 

Just a fun little... neighbor bonding activity. 

**Author's Note:**

> comments always appreciated


End file.
